Published 7 November 2017
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
A new Labour Government will restore free speech and will end Timothy Harris’ tyranny on civil servants
Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 7 2017 – Leader of the Opposition, the Right Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas has vowed to restore the right to free speech and to speak freely and to bring an end to the tyranny being perpetrated on civil servants by the Timothy Harris-led Team Unity Government.
Dr. Douglas gave that commitment in the face of mounting concern of the fear by public servants in particular and the citizenry in general, to freely listen to radio stations and to talk shows of their choice, speak freely and freedom of assembly without receiving calls from the prime minister, threats from officials close to him or his supporters.
During a recent edition of “Ask the Leader” by former Prime Minister Douglas, Nevisian Carleen Pemberton expressed the “concern of the citizenry of St. Kitts and Nevis about the level of fear that people are showing today.”
“People are afraid to log on to live video streaming for fear that their names are showing, for fear of the consequences from persons in high places and office. People are afraid to call in to talk shows and express their concern and opinion on relevant issues affecting the country. This is a direct threat to a growing democracy,” she posted.
In response, Dr. Douglas, a four-term prime minister who served from 1995 to 2015, said he remains committed to the fundamental rights of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis to express themselves freely.
He noted that it was during his administration that several radio stations were given licences to operate and persons given the opportunity to speak freely without fear of victimisation.
“It is through the workings of the 84-year-old Labour Party and the Trades and Labour Union that the Union Messenger of our sister organisation became the mouthpiece of the masses to ensure that the right of free speech was articulated. We continue to adhere to the right to social justice and political justice,” said Dr. Douglas, who is also the National Political Leader of the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP).
“It makes no sense for PM Harris, his officials and supporters to hound public servants, looking at what they are looking at or posting on their FaceBook pages; monitoring what radio stations or talk shows they are listening to; it makes no sense for Dr. Harris to have an army of spies within the public service spying and reporting directly to him on what public servants are saying, are listening to or reading; that is why several public servants are retiring early or resigning because they cannot allow their basic freedoms to be trampled upon by Dr. Harris and his cronies in his government,” said the former prime minister.
“We give a commitment that all that will come to an end once the Labour Party takes over the reins of government again,” Dr. Douglas promised.
He said no matter how much a repressive regime attempts to stifle the rights of a people to express themselves, the truth eventually must rise “it will be heard and acted upon.”
“People of St. Kitts and Nevis, those at home and abroad must not be intimidated. No matter how many security officers Dr. Harris has around him, he cannot continue to hide from the people all of the time. Do not be intimidated, express yourselves. Say what you have to say. Be fearless as long as you are doing it within the four walls of the constitution,” said Dr. Douglas.
He said when a government no longer has the interest of the people as its primary focus and mandate, it is time for the government to go.
“This Team Unity coalition is not a government that looks after the interests of the people. When a government realises it has lost the confidence of the people, it begins to hide from the people and it begins to look after its own interests. The time has come for us to clearly demonstrate that the Harris regime must go,” said Dr. Douglas.
Prime Minister Harris is on record of attacking the local and international media at his press conferences, during sittings of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly and government or party sponsored town hall meetings.
During the February 16th sitting of the lawmaking body Dr. Harris accused the St. Kitts and Nevis media of allowing political prejudices to interfere in their reporting of the news.
“When you see them reporting and they are editorialising, not reporting facts instead inserting themselves into the news,” said Harris in the lawmaking body.
At a Town Hall Meeting in Challengers he urged his supporters to turn off their radio rather than listen to what he described as nonsense.
“They don’t want to talk about that, they want to talk all kind of distraction. That is why you have to be focused and that is why I said to you already and they did vex and they kick up. But me nah study them. Do not listen to the nonsense that many of them are speaking on radio programmes. Do not bother with them and rather than let your pressure go up over the nonsense, my advice is turn them off!! Turn them off!’ shouted Harris and in reference to reporter who had attacked on several occasions he said: “Let the miserable reporter pick up that. Turn them off!!! When people chatting nonsense you don’t vex you spirit, you turn them off!!.
In August last year during a public meeting in Sandy Point Prime Minister Harris attacked the media and urged persons to stop listen to radio talk shows.
“Stop listen to de nonsense dem that dey a talk. Don’t get yourself caught up in that mischief- that is a distraction,” said PM Harris.
Photo 1 – Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas
Photo 2 – Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris
